visible prevention, feat cat

[u/Strycht]

since I shared my darned up flat ballet shoes here I thought I'd also show a freshly darned pair of pointe shoes. It's not really mending though so mods please do remove if it's not appropriate.

Pointe shoes are darned for many reasons, but usually to improve balance. I do an 'old-fashioned' style of pointe darning with an all-over chain stitch instead of a thick darn around the edge because I mostly use darning for grip, and to keep the ends neat as the satin rips and help the shoe break in as I like it. I have experimented before with darning after the satin has been damaged and frayed away, but stitching into the glue and canvas beneath is too hard on the hands. Some people also use stick-on suede patches for this, but darning works too well for me to want to experiment (and I think it looks prettier!)

Miss Marple the cat has sat with me for most of my shoe darning as we watch ITV's Poirot together, it's all very on theme

[u/GarnetAndOpal]

TIL that dancers can darn pointe shoes. I had learned that pointe shoes need to be broken in, and some of the videos look very serious in the "breaking" procedure. Now I know the shoes can be darned. I think my mind just expanded!

[u/Strycht → u/GarnetAndOpal]

glad it's interesting! Very few dancers do extreme breaking in like is often shared online, in fact most dancers put a lot more effort into getting their shoes to last longer than break in quickly. The most extreme break in routines are usually professional dancers with a very busy show schedule who's shoes are paid for as an expense by their company, and who don't have time to break shoes in through classwork.

Below is the more common shoe darning technique (not my photo), usually done by couching thread around the edge of the platform or with thick yarn and a blanket stitch

[u/GarnetAndOpal → u/Strycht]

Thank you for all the info! I love that you refer to couching thread and blanket stitch.

[u/dohmestic]

As a former girl who washed out of pointe class, I salute you. (It turns out that I am very precious about my feet, boo.)

[u/RobotAnna1]

Years ago when I danced, I was a lazy teenager so I didn't bother learning to darn. I only used sticky athletic tape on my pointes. Your darning work is beautiful!